1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a wellhead assembly for an oil and gas well. More particularly, the present invention relates to a wellhead assembly or hanger for a coiled tubing string which has annular communication.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is often desirable in the oilfield industry to insert a string of coiled tubing into the production tubing of a completed oil and gas well. The coiled tubing may be used for a number of purposes such as chemical injection, gas injection, cross sectional area reduction, or for carrying downhole equipment such as sensors, gauges, and pumps. Traditional coiled tubing is a continuous length of spoolable pipe, ranging in size from ¾″ to 3″ OD. Smaller diameters, such as ¼ ″ or ⅜″ OD, are sometimes referred to as a capillary string or an injection tubing string. As used hereinafter, such tubing will be referred to as an injection tubing string, although such use is not intended to limit the scope of the invention or exclude other comparable tubing strings.
It is also desirable to leave the injection tubing string in the wellbore for extended periods of time. This allows an operator, for example, to inject chemicals into the wellbore, on a continual basis, to enhance production or to inhibit corrosion, scale, hydrate or paraffin buildup in the well bore. U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,478 discloses a Y-body Christmas tree for use with an injection tubing string, thereby allowing for the essentially permanent installation of the injection tubing string. The Y-body Christmas tree provides convenient access for injecting coiled tubing into a tubing string without necessarily adding height to the wellhead or tree. The Y-body Christmas tree includes a vertical fluid flow bore for passage and containment of the production of oil and gas from the wellbore. The tree includes upper and lower master valves for controlling the passage of well flow through the tree and to an adjoining flow line. The Y-body Christmas tree also includes an independent angular coiled tubing bore that intersects the vertical flow bore of the tree between the upper and lower master valves, allowing the upper master valve to be cycled without being obstructed by a coil string.
The Y-body Christmas tree has at least three drawbacks. First, the tree is more expensive than a conventional Christmas tree. Secondly, when the injection tubing string is installed in the production tubing, the lower master valve cannot be closed without severing the injection tubing string and requiring an expensive fishing job to remove the severed tubing string. Furthermore, when the tubing injection string is installed in the production tubing, the back pressure valve preparation in the tubing hanger is no longer available for installing a back pressure valve, without first removing the injection tubing string. In the event that the upper master valve begins to leak and needs to be repaired or replaced, an operator cannot obtain a double barrier required in many locations throughout the world by closing the lower master valve or installing a back pressure valve in the production tubing. As a result, an operator would have to mobilize a workover rig and/or lift boat so that the injection tubing string can be removed from the production tubing to allow the lower master valve to be closed and/or a back pressure valve to be installed. This is obviously a time consuming and expensive proposition.
Thus, there is a need for an alternative method for suspending an injection tubing string in production tubing that addresses the problems discussed above.